Moment in the Sun
by BFangz
Summary: Cho is forced to act as a sniper in a hostage situation, which triggers PTSD flashbacks, possibly jeopardizing the outcome and his career.
1. The Beginning

**A/N: **Another slice of Cho life for those who like Cho.  
There are some of you our there, aren't there?

**Moment in the Sun**  
The beginning

Hot sun beat down on him causing a sheen of perspiration to form that occasionally clouded his vision. Cho carefully focused the scope on is M14 and squinted to clear his sight picture. The sound of the black hawk helicopter was an omnipresent buzz in his ears, irritating, comforting and frightening, all at the same time. He adjusted the focus ring and got a good clear focus. There was a moment of confusion. There was green where rocks should have been, and the tent was a small cabin. The black hawk buzz was his radio hissing. He removed his finger from the trigger and closed his eyes.

"Cho, come in. Are you set up," he heard Lisbon say over the radio.

He looked through his scope again. "I'm in position and have a clear field of fire, but no target is visible, Ma'am," he replied. "Awaiting orders, over."

Lisbon grimaced. She hated it when Cho called her Ma'am, but in tactical situations, Cho did have a tendency to revert to his military days and function in that mode. "He's gone military on us, again," she commented to Jane. "Ok, if you see the suspect, report to me, but don't fire without my go ahead. I'd really like to end this with everyone alive."

"Roger," Cho replied, sighting as instructed. A pebble under his hip bone was digging into him. He squirmed, moving it to where it didn't hurt without taking his eye off of the cabin, below. _Focus, Cho. You are here, now, so focus. This is not Afghanistan. This is California and you have a job to do. You don't have time for this crap. Focus!_

"Did he seem OK" Patrick asked Lisbon.

She shook her head. "I think so, but I still worry about him."

Patrick nodded. "Me too. I know he had a rough time and was severely injured in combat. That sort of thing can cause PTSD. I'm worried he's been having flash backs. This is the sort of situation that can trigger them."

Lisbon picked up her radio. "Any movement, Cho?"

"No, Boss. Nothing. I'm on top if it," came back almost instantly.

Teresa and Jane looked at each other and smiled. "Ok, let me know if the situation changes," she replied.

"Roger," came the reply.

"He sounds OK to me," she said.

Patrick nodded. "Stressed, but OK. "

"Excuse me," a strong, baritone voice interrupted. "Who's in charge here?"

Patrick stepped back and pointed to Teresa. Lisbon turned and faced the tall man in the dark suit with very expensive and very shiny shoes. She looked him up and down, with a slight expression if distaste forming on her face. "FBI, right?"

The dark suit man nodded. "We'll be taking over. This is a kidnapping."

"No," Lisbon replied. "You may assist, but this is our case. It's the California State Senator's daughter, in the state of California and the Governor has directed CBI to lead. He does have confidence in us."

The dark suit looked distinctly unhappy but seemed to realize that this was a battle he wasn't going to win. "I'll have to confirm that, but in the mean time, I suggest we deploy a sniper on that bluff. There's a clear field of fire to the cabin."

"We have a sniper there," Lisbon replied.

"So, call him down, and we'll get a professional up there. Let's not take chances. We do want the best."

Lisbon nodded and gave an ironic smile. "Agreed and we have the best. You won't find better than Cho."

Dark suit looked surprised. "Cho? Cho as in Kimball Cho? You have him?"

Lisbon pointed at the bluff. "Right there."

The man shook his head. "I always wondered where he went. I swear that man is second only to Gunny Hathcock, and I think I owe my life to him." He actually smiled. "I'll shut up now. Just tell me what I can do to help and you'll have it."

"Satellite surveillance," Lisbon said, mostly kidding.

Dark suit smiled. "Anything to make Cho's life easier." He executed a military about face and strode off, back straight with measured strides.

Lisbon looked at Jane. "What just happened here?" She looked as confused as she sounded.

Patrick slowly shook his head. "It seems our Cho has a reputation we know nothing about. He is very taciturn about his past, isn't he?"

"Taciturn isn't the word. Access to his military records are classified way beyond my security level. When I took over CBI, I wanted to review everything I could about my team. Except for the basics, Cho's life is a sealed book."

Patrick raised one eyebrow. "A mystery. I like mysteries."

"Now, don't you go doing anything illegal, and be warned, the day after I tried to access Cho's records, I got a call from some general in the pentagon asking me why I'd been attempting to access those files. After I explained, there was no problem, but I was informed they were classified and I shouldn't be doing that again."

"Even stranger." Patrick grinned. "I think I'll go over and have a nice little talk with our feebee, over there. I wonder if he's into telling war stories."

"OK, Jane but don't forget we are in the middle of a hostage situation, here. Lives are at stake."

"Yes, Teresa, I know." He sobered. "I really can't forget that, but I'm good at multitasking and I might learn something that's useful for the future."

"Oh, go do what you want to do. You're going to do that anyway, and I don't have time to fight about it. Just don't screw up, OK?" Teresa looked as exasperated as she felt. Jane had a way of doing that to her.

Cho blinked the sweat out of his eyes and focused on the tent. _If I can take out this Mullah, I cripple their intelligence, get pay back for some of the damage that bastard's done, and save a life! _

_oOOOo_

_**A/N: Ok, now it's time to ask for reviews. So, REVIEW, already. If you like Cho stories and want more, let me know. I'll certainly try to comply.**_


	2. On the Bluff

**Moment in the Sun**  
On the Bluff

_Come on you son of a bitch. Show your ugly rag head so I can blow it off. You think you're one of the chosen ones? You are. I'm choosing to end your existence, today!_ The low squawking of the radio broke his concentration again. _Damn! We're supposed to be in radio silence. What is wrong with these idiots. _Reaching to his radio, he turned on voice activation. "Go ahead," he whispered into the blue tooth headset.

"Cho," Lisbon's voice sounded in he ear, "we've got a feebee on site and he's gotten us some satellite support. Seems he's heard of you and is quite impressed with your talents."

Cho shook his head. Feebee_? What is she talking about. _He paused and felt a course of adrenaline shoot through his body. There was movement below. "Stand by, base. I have movement." Cho focused on the scope and tried to see clearly, but his vision was blurred.

"Cho says he has movement," Lisbon relayed, switching to tac 2, the general channel. "Does anyone see anything?" Negative replies were all she received. Switching back to tac 1 she said, "No one has a visual, down here. Can you describe what you see?"

Cho squinted his eyes and shook his head. He could make out a shadowy form inside the cabin, but couldn't make out any details. "I'm looking into the sun," he replied. "The glare and contrast are too much." He looked up, calculating the time and effect of the rising sun. "It's only going to get worse. I need to change positions."

"Stand by," Lisbon replied. She looked around her, but it was she that had to make the decision. She focused her binoculars on the cabin, but could not see any tactical way they could approach without placing the hostage in grave jeopardy.

Dark Suit reappeared. "Let him," he said. "He's a ghost and if he can make it to here," he said, pointing to an area on the print out he was holding in his hand, "in the next 30 minutes, he'll be in a very favorable position."

Lisbon stared at the printed satellite map. "Cho, do you see the rise to your left?"

"Affirmative," came the reply.

"Can you make it there in the next 30 minutes?"

"Affirmative."

There was silence. Lisbon started raised the radio to speak, but Dark Suit stopped her. "He's moving. Don't distract him. He'll report in when he's in position."

Lisbon stared at Dark Suit. She held our her hand. "I'm senior agent Lisbon"

Dark Suit took the hint and her hand. "I'm special agent Drake. I'm pleased to meet you."

Lisbon, directly confronted him. "You seem to know things about Cho that I don't. Would you like to share?"

Drake smiled. "I'm guessing that you don't know a lot about his military time. I can tell you that I was in Afghanistan at the same time he was and that I have total confidence in his ability to get the job done."

Lisbon's expression showed her dissatisfaction with that answer. "Do you really think that's the sort of answer I need to do my job?"

Drake gave Lisbon a lopsided grin. "Not really, but so much of what happened there is still classified. I don't want to get myself or him in trouble."

Lisbon did not look happy. "Loose lips sink ships and all that crap?"

His grin widened. "More like loose lips and get you sent to the brig or Leavenworth."

Lisbon growled, "Military intelligence?"

"I won't argue, but I'm a pragmatist. I like sleeping in my own bed." Drake chuckled. "We still friends?"

Lisbon smiled in spite of herself. "As friendly as I can be with a interfering, secretive, and possibly manipulative feebee.

"Ouch," Drake said shaking his hand as if it had been hurt. "Beware of the senior agent. She bites! What did I do to rattle your cage?"

"I'm sorry. You've been nothing but reasonable and helpful. This is just a tense situation and I'm worried about Cho."

oOo

Cho lost no time scooting back below the lip of the rise he'd set up on. Shouldering his weapon, being careful of the still mounted scope, he started off down the bluff in the indicated direction. It was less than two hundred yards, but he'd have to use all available concealment and improvise some camouflage of the way.

_I should kick myself, setting up there. Damn sun was right in my eyes and I should have known that would happen. _He crouched behind a tree, catching his breath. _Ok. Dumb move one of the day. You're getting old, Cho, now don't be an ass and make another. You won't get a chance like this again, Sargent Cho, so make good on it. Your buddies are depending on you. _He looked at his watch. _I'm half way there and I've got twenty minutes left. _

Cho was pleased with his new position. The angle had the sun out of his eyes and he was a lot closer. He'd had to lower the magnification on his scope. At the higher power, the field of view was too narrow. Still, he could only see shadows of movement, and could not distinguish detail.

"Cho to base."

"Go ahead Cho."

"I'm in position, but my sight of the interior is restricted. I could probably take him out, and I can certainly knock him down."

"Stand by, Cho," Lisbon responded. "Jane has finally made phone contact with him and is attempting some sort of resolution."

"Roger, base. The longer we can wait, the better my shot will be. In another couple of hours, the sun will be lighting the interior of the tent from my perspective."

Lisbon did not reply, but looked at Agent Drake. "Tent? Did he say tent?"

Drake nodded. "I think he did." He paused. "This reminds me of a mission in Afghanistan. It was a rescue mission that really went sour. I can't tell you, and you don't want to know, the details, but Cho played a big part in it."

Their eyes met and there seemed to be unspoken communication. Lisbon sighed. "This is not good."

"No," Drake agreed, "but Cho's a fighter, in every respect. He won't let you down."

"I hope you're right," Lisbon said, a slight quiver in her voice. "There are lives at stake here."

oOOOo

A/N: The story is moving. Cho is closer to his target and the breaking point.

Once again, my stats are not updating. If you're reading this, take the time to review and let me know. Reviews to offer incentive to write more and more quickly! Help me out, here.


	3. Confrontation

**Moment in the Sun**  
Confrontation

The sun was high overhead, beating mercilessly down on him, but Cho hardly noticed the rivulets of sweat running down his face and dripping onto the stock of his rifle. He was totally focused on the sight before him. The radio had been silent for at least fifteen minutes, now, and he'd had to pass up a couple of good clean kill shots because of the wait order.

_You can't negotiate with some people. They should know that. It's kill or be killed. Won't they ever learn? _

_oOo_

_ "_He hung up on me again, Lisbon."

"So, what's you take on it, Jane? So far, it doesn't sound good."

Patrick shook his head, his expression very tense and worried. "No, I'm not reaching him. I don't think he's in touch with reality. He's got this fantasy he's playing out and reality isn't part of it. I've been trying to insert some compassion for the little girl into it, but he's not going for it. He says he hasn't hurt her yet, and that he wants her pure for the final act, but he's not saying what the final act is or when it's going to happen."

"Damn," Lisbon muttered.

"He's not making any demands and I can't get any leverage or insight into his motivation," Patrick concluded.

"Cho, you read me," Lisbon spoke into the radio.

"Roger, Base. 5 by 5," came the reply.

"We're not making any progress, here. If you have a shot, take it, but make sure the girl is not in the line of fire. Priority one, here, is her safety ."

"Wilco," came Cho's reply.

"He's scaring me, Jane. This is not the Cho that I'm used to working with. He sounds different and he's using terms I've never heard him use before. Do you think he's OK?"

Patrick looked as worried as Lisbon. "No, I don't think he's OK, but I'd be willing to bet that he can perform his duty OK. This is Cho we're talking about. He once quoted to me that when you're going through hell, the best thing you can do is to keep on going. He said that saved his life more than once." Patrick smiled. "He'll keep on going."

Lisbon stared at the radio in her hand as if it were a snake. "I hope you're right, Jane. I do hope that you're right. I'm afraid that little girl's final hope for survival is Cho."

"I'm afraid you're right. I don't have a good feel about this nut case. I think he plans on killing her is some remarkably gruesome, spectacular way. We know how that plays out, don't we?"

With that statement, Lisbon realized how this must be affecting Jane, as well. She knew Jane's story, even if she didn't know Cho's. She wondered how he was holding up. The only thing to keep him going was the desire to save that little girl. That's what he couldn't do for his own daughter. Maybe he felt it would somehow even the scales."

oOo

Cho squinted, inhaled and exhaled deeply. _Hang in there. Gotta hang in there. That was then, this is now. I've lost it and I know I've lost it. That is not a tent. That's cabin. I'm in Afghanistan, I mean California, and it's up to me, now. The captain said, I mean Lisbon said that things are going badly and that I should take him out. _

In peak condition, Cho could run 100 yards is less than 12 seconds, with full combat gear on, so when the childish scream rent the air, and he had no target, he did what instinct dictated. He grabbed his rifle, sprinted the 50 yards to the cabin, and at full speed dove through the window he'd been training his scope on most of the day. He twisted, the butt of the rifle taking much of the force and his bent arms acting as shock absorbers. He rolled, standing up, he flipped the M14 to full automatic.

A bloody knife was in the maniac's hand and a long shallow gash was evident down the nude child's body, lying on the bed, where he been bending over her. He'd been distracted by the crash of the window and he turned to face Cho, knife raised.

"No, you bastard, you don't win this time," Cho snarled. It takes a little over 1.6 seconds to empty a 20 round clip on full automatic. For all his distress, Cho's hands were rock steady, and hours of practice allowed him to control the recoil and attempted rise of the barrel. Only an expert can control, with absolute precision, a weapon on full automatic. Cho was an expert.

The aiming point was above the heart and below the collar bone. Successful strikes, there, would destroy the arteries from the heart, rupture the lungs, generate hydrostatic shock to the brain, and sever the spine. Briefly, before he fell lifeless, daylight was actually visible through his body, the 20 rounds opening up a persistent cavity the size of two fists.

Cho stood frozen, smoking gun held casually in the crook of his right arm, muzzle facing downward, not hearing the screams of the child, not hearing the excited and worried voices on his radio, and not aware of anything but the lifeless sack of meat at his feet. His face, as usual, showed no emotion, but this time, even his eyes were flat and expressionless. From a distance, you'd recognize him as a killing machine. His stillness amidst the carnage was eerie.

He stood, motionless and unresponsive, as the team, lead by Lisbon, and the FBI agent came running in. Grace, tuned to the needs of the child, quickly ran to the bed and wrapped her in the sheet and began making comforting sounds. Patrick, showing obvious signs of relief at the survival of the little girl, hesitated and seemed unsure of how to deal with statue-like Cho. Agent Drake suffered from no such hesitation. He walked calmly if front of Cho and faced him.

"At ease, Sargent," he said.

"Aye-aye, Sir," Cho replied, placing the butt of the rifle on the ground and and assuming a more relaxed position.

"Mission well done, Marine. Report to agent Lisbon." Drake turned and walked away.

Cho's face registered a moment of confusion and then he looked at Lisbon and nodded. "We did it, Boss. We saved her."

Lisbon smiled and nodded to him. "You saved her, Cho. I think that was all you. I will be recommending you for a commendation, but you and I will have a heart to heart when we get back to the office."

Cho nodded. "I think that's a good idea." He paused. "I think we both have some things to say."

oOo

oOOOo

**A/N: End it here? It's not a bad stopping point. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews. **


	4. Revelations

A/N: I hope that you're enjoying this take on Cho life.  
We all have problems, and how we handle them does  
partially define us.

**Moment in the Sun**  
Revelations

The next morning, Cho arrived at the office, freshly showered and shaved, looking like, well, like Cho always looked. The trials of the previous day were nowhere to be found in his expression or on his body. Lisbon was already ensconced in her office and well into her second cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Cho," she called. "Why don't you fill your coffee cup and join me?"

He altered his course and headed straight for the coffee pot. "Not a problem," he replied.

At Lisbon's direction, Cho took a seat. "I think he'd have stood there, all day, at attention if I didn't tell him to sit," she mused. "I wonder if it's because he's nervous." The thought of a nervous Cho was incongruous enough to make her smile.

"I just want you to know that I'm submitting your name for a Medal of Valor. What you did yesterday was beyond the call of duty."

"No," he said.

Lisbon waited, but he didn't seemed to be prone to more explanation. "You're not just going to say no and let it go at that, are you?"

He shrugged.

Lisbon felt a flash of irritation. "Agent, that is not good enough. Now, drop the oriental inscrutability and talk to me." She glared at him, every bit a commanding officer.

"Yes, boss," he said uncharacteristically low. "I don't want to be to be put up for any award for doing what any reasonable human being would have done. I did my job and I did my duty." He stopped and watched her, motionless.

_I don't think I've ever heard him put so many words together, before. There's more there. I know there's more there, but how to get him talking... _"I understand your feelings, here, Cho, but what you did was not what any reasonable human being **could** have done. What you did was exceptional and recognizing it is not just for you. It's for the example it makes of what a good agent can and should do, whenever possible."

Cho made a sound. I may have been a grunt, or it may have been a muttered yeah or some noise of assent. Typical, though, was his lack of expression.

"Good. I'm glad you understand. Understand, that me telling you about this is a courtesy and is generally against protocol, so keep this between us, OK?"

"Not a problem," Cho said.

"Now," Lisbon hesitated. Cho sat facing her, giving her his full attention. _Him staring at me is not helping. _Lisbon took a sip of coffee, and surprisingly, Cho did the same. "Now," she continued, "I'm not really sure how to say this, but you were really acting strangely, yesterday." She paused, hoping he'd say something. When he didn't she continued, "Do you know what I mean?"

Cho carefully set his cup down and took a deep breath. "Yes, I do know what you mean. I was having some problems, but I did my job."

"Yes, you did your job, but that's not what's worrying me. I know Jane isn't a doctor, but he does know the mind and he thinks you're suffering from PTSD, and he believes that you've been fighting this for at least three months."

Briefly, Cho's eyes lit with amusement. "Maybe he is psychic." A hesitation. "He's right, and for the most part, I can keep it under control, but yesterday was really bad. Since I've been here, that was the worst."

Lisbon chewed her lower lip, thoughtfully. She finally broke the lengthening silence. "I see two problems," she said. "I see that you have some unresolved issues that are making your life less enjoyable and I see that your issues have the potential to affect your job, maybe getting you or someone near you killed."

Cho slightly nodded indicating that he understood. They both took a sip of their cooling coffee. "In my position, what would tell your trooper?"

Cho looked uncomfortable but said nothing.

"Come on, Cho, this is not a trick question. I have a responsibility, here, and I'm asking for your input."

Cho took a deep breath. "I'd tell him to get some psychological counseling."

Lisbon nodded. "That's the direction I'm leaning towards." Cho's expression was distinctly sour. "I'll arrange an appointment for you, during work hours, of course, with Doctor Schmidt." Lisbon paused and examined Cho's expression. "Agent Cho, that really is not a suggestion, understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he responded, his expression and voice clearly indicating his dissatisfaction. "I do understand."

oOo

The hallway corridor was long and narrow. It, and the doors lining both sides of the wall, were all a bland, anonymous, light beige. Each door had a brass plate, indicating the room number, beneath which was a smaller plate with a name on it, to help orient a visitor even better. Cho stared at the number, 313, and the name, Dr. Schmitt, PhD. He was unsure whether he should knock or just walk in. There was no clear indication, so he settled for knocking.

The door was quickly opened and Cho was facing a diminutive blond lady with piercing green eyes. His first thought was, "She can't weigh more than 90 pounds." While Cho was not an extremely tall man, he towered over her, his mass and muscularity making her seem even smaller.

"You must be Agent Cho," she said smiling. "You're right on time. As you can probably guess, I'm Dr. Schmitt. Please, do come in."

He found himself in a small waiting room, where a sign read, "Please be seated. I'll be with you shortly." He blinked, rapidly, three times. "Just walk in," he thought.

"Please, come on back to my office. You're my first visitor for the day and we can jump right in." She smiled, indicating the door to her office. She opened the surprisingly thick door and indicated he should enter.

There was the expected couch and a chair facing her desk. "Please, sit and be comfortable," she said pointing to the chair. She smiled having noticed that his eyes had focused on the "shrink's" proverbial couch. "The couch is actually more for me. I like to nap in the afternoon, if I don't have any clients."

He sat as instructed and she took her place behind her desk. "Senior Agent Lisbon made this appointment for you, which I'm sure you're not very happy about, but I'm really on your side and if we work together, I'm sure we can make progress." She paused and glanced at the file in front of her. "It seems that I know more about you than you do about me, so let me introduce myself." She took a breath and continued. "I'm a clinical psychologist, not a psychiatrist. I don't prescribe medication. My job is to help you help yourself, not push a pill down your throat that hides a problem. I've been practicing for 15 years and I doubt if you can tell me anything that I haven't heard before. PTSD and trauma are my specific areas of interest and expertise." She smiled. "I do hold a sufficiently high security clearance to have access to most of your files." She paused. "Do you have any questions?"

Cho nodded. "I smell coffee. Would it be possible..."

Lisa Schmitt laughed. "A man who speaks his mind. I think we'll get along fine!"

oOOOo

A/N: Another chapter in the can. How's it going, so far?


	5. Resolution

**Moment in the Sun**  
Resolution?

Coffee! Patrick Jane smelled coffee. Confused, he tried to sit up and swing his feet to the floor, but found himself tangled in a sleeping bag that was lying on the ground. He opened both eyes and was greeted by the sun, just barely peeking over the horizon, crisp, clean air, and the smell of coffee. _Oh, gads, I swear I smell bacon and eggs, now. _"Cho! How do I get out of this damned thing?"

Cho chuckled and came to Patrick's rescue by unzipping the sleeping bag. "I forgot. You were a psychic, not an escape artist."

"There's no such thing..." Patrick realized that he'd been had. "You have any tea? I can smell the coffee, but is there tea?"

Cho was wearing black sweat pants, sandals, and a sweat shirt to protect himself from the morning nip in the air. "Yes, Jane, I even have tea. You're slipping if you think I'd forget your tea."

Patrick made grumbling sounds and staggered, morning like, to the camp stove that Cho had the coffee pot on.

"Put on your jacket, Jane, or you're going to get chilled. You may be unconscious now, but get cold enough and you'll realize it."

Jane grumbled again, but returned to the sleeping area and got his jacket as instructed. When he returned to the stove, Cho handed him a cup containing a tea ball filled with loose lapsang souchong tea. "Life saver," Jane muttered. "Thank you."

"The eggs are powdered, but the bacon is not. Want some?" Cho held up a half empty pack of bacon to demonstrate his point.

Jane grunted.

"I'll take that as a yes." Cho busied himself mixing water with the powdered eggs and while the bacon turned to crisp, delectable strips. Powdered eggs are not as bad as everyone likes to say they are. Some cooks used to throw egg shells into them so that everyone would believe they were actually fresh eggs. It usually worked.

Half way through the plate of eggs and bacon, with half of the strong tea consumed, Jane began to return to consciousness. "You realize, of course that I'm not a morning person, don't you?"

"Well, Jane, if I didn't know it before, I'd be fairly sure of it now." Cho grinned.

"This is the second time I've let you talk me into a camping trip. I hate sleeping on the ground."

"I told told you that you could bring a cot. We only had a two mile hike from the car."

Jane glared at Cho. "Two miles with a cot that weighs a ton on my back. Not in this life time."

Cho looked upward and shook his head as if to say, "No hope. No hope."

Patrick in his mercurial style changed the subject. "So what do you think of the charming Miss Schmitt?"

"How..." Cho started.

Patrick raised his hand. "Lisbon has me on regular visits to her, too. At least you'll get cleared for full duty or be told that you're done. I think I'll be going there as long as I'm with CBI."

"She's OK," Cho replied.

"Come on, Cho. We're in the middle of nowhere. You can talk to me now. If you limit yourself to two and three word responses, I'll run screaming back to the car to escape pure boredom. Try speaking in paragraphs, now."

Cho actually smiled. "I'll try. I'm so used to keeping everything hidden that I doubt if I'll ever change. Most of the time, I don't feel like I really have a lot to say. I learn more by listening."

Jane nodded. "Learn more and give away less." He smiled. "You do like your privacy."

"Yes," Cho replied.

Jane waited and then sighed. "You just did it again! Sentences! Paragraphs!"

Cho let out a low laugh. "You won't give up will you?" He shook his head, smiling. "Yes, I do like my privacy, but I was trained to say little and listen much. When the Corps teaches you something, you really don't forget it." He took a sip of the coffee and continued. "And to answer your question, Dr. Schmitt is something else. I think she could teach you some things."

"You're right, there," Patrick agreed. "I went in there fully prepared to manipulate her mercilessly and she had me babbling like a fool within twenty minutes. I'm still not sure how she did it."

Cho nodded and refreshed his coffee from the agate pot. "She does have a way of doing that, doesn't she? Since she holds a top secret security clearance, I was able to tell her things I've never been able to tell anyone else. She made a phone call to the pentagon and got someone who I can't name to tell me I could tell her everything. I know the man. I know the voice. She's for real."

Patrick looked surprise. "Meh! I had no idea. She never mentioned that and I had no clue."

"Why would you, Patrick? You had no need to know."

Jane groaned. "You military types. Need to know and all that crap. This is how many years later? Do you really thing that's necessary now?"

Cho shrugged. "At this level, that's not for me to decide. I follow orders."

"Another cup of tea, Please, and while you're at it, you can tell if she's released you or if you have to go back." Patrick held his cup out to Cho.

Cho took the cup and emptied the tea ball and reloaded it. The steam from the cup filled the air with the aromatic pine tar scent. "You drink this stuff? It smells like creosote!"

"Well I LIKE the smell of creosote, so yes, I drink it. Now, what's your status."

"So far, we've been deciding, or she's been deciding, maybe I should say, whether I need to come back or not. I've not been given the choice, but I think it's been good for me. I can talk about some of it and not have flash backs, now. I never thought that would be possible. I mean I remember it, and it hurts, but no flash backs. I'm in control."

Jane sighed. "I'm not there yet, but I can see it happening. Each time I can get a little further. Guilt sucks, you know."

"I know, but she was able to get through to me on that one. Once she did that, a lot of it seemed to recede. Then she did the guided visualization. That was a pisser, but when it was over, I really did feel a lot better."

"Meh! Thanks for the heads up. She hasn't tried that on me, yet. I'm sure I can avoid that little trap."

"No, Jane. You don't want to. If she says do it. Do it!"

"I'm not in the army..."

"Not the army, Jane. The corps."

"Ok, I'm not in the corps and I don't have to follow orders."

Cho lifted one eyebrow. "Here's the deal. If she says do it, you will do it. I'll rat you out in a heart beat and then kick your butt, if I even think you're not playing straight. It's for your own good."

Patrick sighed. "Maybe you should go back to single word responses. I don't like some of these sentences."

"You made this bed, Jane. Sleep in it!" Cho smiled.

Patrick stood up and stretched. "Didn't you say there'd be some fishing involved on this trip? Do you have any idea how long it's been since I went fishing?"

In a few short minutes, the two men were headed towards the lake, fishing rods over their shoulders, aiming for a fish dinner. The sun was up, now, and it getting pleasantly warm. "Maybe we should do this more often, Jane said.

"Maybe we should," came the reply.

oOOOo

A/N: I think this is the end. I'm going to mark it as completed. I hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.


End file.
